Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Thursday 3 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there has been any maladministration in relation to the Agricultural Business Improvement Scheme and, if so, what steps it will take to ensure that applicants to the scheme do not suffer financially as a result.

Ross Finnie: I am not aware of maladministration having taken place in the handling of the scheme. The financial allocation for the scheme has been fully committed. In addition, on 16 November, I announced that an extra £1 million is being made available. This followed consultation with the industry about the prioritisation system to deal with the very late surge in scheme applications which regrettably will result in a number of applications not being funded.

Culture

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it intends to give to the "Scottish Dig" at Saqqara in Egypt, given Scotland’s rich tradition in Egyptology.

Rhona Brankin: The National Museums of Scotland (NMS) have a field team working at Saqqara and have been funding this project to the level of approximately £5,000 per annum since 1994-95. The NMS hope to continue funding for a further five years.

Early Years

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to review nursery nurses’ pay, conditions and career structure to ensure that these are commensurate with and appropriate to the qualifications, skills and duties required by their employment.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The pay and conditions of nursery nurses are the responsibility of their employers, whether local authorities or operators in the private and voluntary sector, and, as such, are determined through local pay bargaining.

  The Executive is working with the early years sector to develop the careers structure for nursery nurses and other staff in early education, childcare and playwork. To date, this work has included:

  The establishment of an Early Years National Training Organisation;

  The development of a new qualification suitable to senior practitioners;

  Improved careers information.

  The Executive will bring forward proposals for further action later in the year.

Education

Nicola Sturgeon (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive is taking to improve school buildings in Scotland.

Donald Dewar: An additional £115.7 million over five years was announced in the July 1997 Budget under the New Deal for Schools. We have, in partnership with CoSLA, enhanced authorities’ ability to prioritise their capital expenditure in favour of school building work. This is complemented by public private partnership schemes in 10 authorities with a capital value of around £430 million.

Education

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts it is making to promote accurate and informed teaching about the Holocaust in Scottish schools.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Scottish schools have the opportunity to inform their pupils about issues connected with the Holocaust through subject areas ranging from history and modern studies to religious and moral education and English language. The Government has recently announced that 27 January 2001 will become the UK’s first Holocaust Memorial Day and I am confident that Scottish schools will find appropriate ways to involve their pupils in marking this day.

Education

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school boards there are at present in Scotland.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The latest published statistics (from May 1998) show a total of 2,268 school boards in Scotland.

Education

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many school board members there are at present in Scotland.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This information is not collected centrally.

Education

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many current school board members in Scotland have been appointed as opposed to elected and by which organisations.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No school board members are appointed by outside organisations. School boards are made up of elected parent and staff members and other members co-opted by the school board. In denominational schools, one of the co-opted members must be nominated by the relevant denominational body. Information on numbers of school board members is not collected centrally.

Education

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many current school board members in Scotland are parent representatives and, of these, how many took their position as a result of a contested election.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This information is not collected centrally.

Education

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish regular statistics on educational qualifications obtained by pupils in Scotland’s special educational needs schools.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive has no plans to publish statistics on educational qualifications obtained by pupils in special schools.

Education

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with special needs are currently being educated in non-mainstream schools (a) outwith their home town and (b) in their home town, in each local authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive does not collect information about pupils’ home towns. Information is collected on the numbers of pupils attending publicly funded special schools within and outwith their own local authority. The information is provided in the table below.

  Table 1

  Special Schools – September 1998

  Analysis of SEN pupils based in publicly funded schools within their own local authority

  


Funding & Educating LA

  

SEN Pupils

  



Aberdeen City

  

441

  



Aberdeenshire

  

389

  



Angus

  

0

  



Argyll & Bute

  

40

  



Clackmannanshire

  

43

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

28

  



Dundee City

  

126

  



East Ayrshire

  

168

  



East Dunbartonshire

  

105

  



East Lothian

  

0

  



East Renfrewshire

  

29

  



Edinburgh, City of 

  

738

  



Eilean Siar

  

0

  



Falkirk

  

258

  



Fife

  

235

  



Glasgow City

  

1,861

  



Highland

  

165

  



Inverclyde

  

116

  



Midlothian

  

88

  



Moray

  

23

  



North Ayrshire

  

198

  



North Lanarkshire

  

657

  



Orkney Islands

  

19

  



Perth & Kinross

  

52

  



Renfrewshire

  

281

  



Scottish Borders

  

0

  



Shetland Islands

  

0

  



South Ayrshire

  

93

  



South Lanarkshire

  

492

  



Stirling

  

43

  



West Dunbartonshire

  

129

  



West Lothian

  

166

  



ALL

  

6,983

  



  Source: School Census

  Table 2

  Special Schools – September 1998

  Analysis of SEN pupils based in publicly funded schools outwith their own local authority

  


Funding LA

  

Total

  



Aberdeen City

  

3

  



Aberdeenshire

  

16

  



Angus

  

48

  



Argyll & Bute

  

20

  



Clackmannanshire

  

49

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  

13

  



Dundee City 

  

5

  



East Ayrshire

  

25

  



East Dunbartonshire 

  

54

  



East Lothian

  

81

  



East Renfrewshire

  

78

  



Edinburgh, City of

  

54

  



Eilean Siar

  

0

  



Falkirk

  

45

  



Fife

  

18

  



Glasgow City

  

69

  



Highland

  

2

  



Inverclyde

  

10

  



Midlothian

  

56

  



Moray

  

1

  



North Ayrshire

  

26

  



North Lanarkshire

  

125

  



Orkney Islands

  

0

  



Perth & Kinross

  

13

  



Renfrewshire

  

37

  



Scottish Borders

  

15

  



Shetland Islands

  

2

  



South Ayrshire

  

11

  



South Lanarkshire

  

192

  



Stirling

  

57

  



West Dunbartonshire 

  

41

  



West Lothian

  

67

  



Outwith Scotland

  

15

  



ALL

  

1,248

  



  Source: School Census

Education

Mr Michael McMahon (Hamilton North and Bellshill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children with special needs are currently educated (a) for more than one third of the week and (b) wholly in non-mainstream schools, in each local authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: All pupils educated and based in non-mainstream schools are in full-time education and therefore qualify as being educated for more than one third of the week. The information requested is given in the table below.

  Special Schools – September 1998

  Analysis of SEN pupils attending non-mainstream schools in each local authority

  


Educating LA

  

Local Authority

  

Grant-aided

  

Independent

  

All SEN Pupils

  



Aberdeen City

  

458

  




175

  

633

  



Aberdeenshire

  

390

  







390

  



Angus

  










0

  



Argyll & Bute

  

55

  







55

  



Clackmannanshire

  

58

  




28

  

86

  



Dumfries & Galloway

  

28

  




20

  

48

  



Dundee City

  

180

  




32

  

212

  



East Ayrshire

  

180

  







180

  



East Dunbartonshire

  

137

  







137

  



East Lothian

  










0

  



East Renfrewshire

  

43

  







43

  



Edinburgh, City of 

  

799

  

199

  

81

  

1,079

  



Eilean Siar

  










0

  



Falkirk

  

325

  







325

  



Fife

  

242

  




114

  

356

  



Glasgow City

  

2,086

  

29

  

68

  

2,183

  



Highland

  

165

  




19

  

184

  



Inverclyde

  

127

  







127

  



Midlothian

  

176

  







176

  



Moray

  

23

  







23

  



North Ayrshire

  

206

  




79

  

285

  



North Lanarkshire

  

760

  

27

  

61

  

848

  



Orkney Islands

  

19

  







19

  



Perth & Kinross

  

53

  




122

  

175

  



Renfrewshire

  

308

  

59

  

138

  

505

  



Scottish Borders

  










0

  



Shetland Islands

  










0

  



South Ayrshire

  

104

  




26

  

130

  



South Lanarkshire

  

508

  

80

  




588

  



Stirling

  

62

  




77

  

139

  



West Dunbartonshire

  

171

  







171

  



West Lothian

  

174

  




41

  

215

  



ALL

  

7,837

  

394

  

1,081

  

9,312

  



  Source: School Census

  Notes:

  The term "non-mainstream schools" is taken to mean special schools ie. not primaries and secondaries.

  All pupils educated and based in special schools are in full-time education and therefore qualify as being educated for more than one third of the week.

  The answer has been prepared based on the most recent available figures i.e. as at September 1998.

Environment

Ms Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to monitor the disposal of natural waste, particularly at landfill sites close to residential areas.

Sarah Boyack: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the waste regulation authority. Operators of waste management facilities, including landfills, are required to apply to SEPA for a licence to operate the site. In considering the application, SEPA may set conditions which are designed to ensure that the environment and health are protected. SEPA then monitors the operation of the site to ensure that the licence conditions are complied with, and take appropriate action if non-compliance is detected.

European Funding

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the Scottish population lives in areas which are currently eligible for European aid and what the equivalent proportion was under the structural funds settlement applying immediately prior to the new settlement.

Mr Jack McConnell: The special programme for the Highlands & Islands, to replace the Objective 1 programme, is available throughout the Highlands & Islands. The Objective 3 programme for the European Social Fund has been available throughout Lowland Scotland and will remain so. Those living in the former Objective 2 and 5b areas, covering some 77% of the Scottish population, will have access to either full or transitional support in the new Objective 2 programmes.

European Funding

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether European Regional Development Funding is available for the Borders railway.

Mr Jack McConnell: The new South of Scotland European Objective 2 programme will be worth over £40 million over the next seven years and will bring a valuable additional boost to investment in the area. It will cover a range of issues including economic development and social justice but it is not likely to provide significant funding opportunities to invest in the railway.

European Funding

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it will make to ensure continuity of projects supported by European structural funds in the period between this round and the next.

Mr Jack McConnell: Support for European Social Fund projects under the previous programme round has been extended up to 30 June 2000, and longer in exceptional cases. Revenue projects under the European Regional Development Fund already approved can continue until 31 December 2001. We are working with the various partnerships through plan teams to ensure that the new plans are agreed with the European Commission as early as possible so as to avoid undue dislocation between programmes.

Finance

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for public spending in health and education in the coming year.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Executive’s priorities for health and education spending are fully reflected in the proposals set out in the Budget Bill, currently before Parliament.

Fisheries

Rhoda Grant (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with representatives of the Scottish fishing industry about the total allowable catches as agreed at the December EU Fisheries Council.

Mr John Home Robertson: The Scottish Executive has been in close contact with Scottish fishing representatives throughout the entire TAC process. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with them both immediately before the December Council, and in Scotland House in Brussels during a break in Council proceedings. They provided a valuable contribution which I am sure helped us achieve a positive outcome to the negotiations.

Food Safety

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the current level of meat inspection charges for Scottish abattoirs.

Ross Finnie: The current level of meat inspection charges has remained at the level fixed for the year 1998-99 while the burdens on the meat industry have been reviewed. As stated in today's written answer by the Minister for Health and Community Care, Ministers' response to the Red Tape Working Group's report has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Health

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the First Minister whether he will make a statement about amputations of healthy limbs in National Health Service hospitals.

Donald Dewar: Treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) by amputation is designed to relieve symptoms which are distressing patients. In some patients with this particularly unusual psychiatric problem, the amputation of a limb may provide relief of distress. However, determination of appropriate treatment is very much a matter of joint psychiatric and surgical assessment in each case. The matter is being considered by the Ethics Committee of the Trust whose report will in course be passed to Ministers.

Health

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive an invitation to the official opening of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

Iain Gray: There are, as yet, no plans for an official opening of the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The Infirmary will open in two phases, with the first phase scheduled for occupation in October 2001, and the second in February 2003.

Health

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to reduce the risk of needle stick injuries.

Iain Gray: The recently published Occupational Health and Safety Services Strategy made clear that NHS in Scotland employers must risk assess tasks and activities and should adopt best practice and training to reduce needle stick and contaminated sharps injuries. A Scottish Executive Working Group is in the process of being set up to review available data and information on retractable needles and make recommendations to Ministers on their practical use within the NHS in Scotland. It is hoped to include a representative from the professions and STUC Health Trade Unions.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to provide financial support for the Scottish School of Herbal Medicine in order for it to provide adequate premises and staff remuneration.

Susan Deacon: All aspects of training for complementary therapies such as herbal medicine, including the provision of premises and the remuneration of trainers and support staff, are matters for the professional bodies concerned and are generally expected to be self-financing from the fees paid by trainees. The Executive would not be likely to undertake direct sponsorship of a particular therapy.

Health

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide population figures and projections for (a) the Tayside Health Board area; (b) the Tayside Health Board Area broken down by local authority area, and (c) the Tayside Health Board Area broken down by constituency for (i) 1999; (ii) 2000; (iii) 2001; (iv) 2002 and (v) 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information requested for health board and local authorities within Tayside is published by the Registrar General in Table 1 of the booklet Population Projections, Scotland (1996 based) , a copy of which is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). Similar information for constituencies within Tayside is not produced centrally.

Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when digital hearing aids will be made available by the NHS in Scotland.

Susan Deacon: Scottish Healthcare Supplies, the Division of the Common Services Agency with responsibility for arranging central contracts for the NHS in Scotland, have closely monitored this rapidly developing area and successfully negotiated the inclusion of digital hearing aids on their current contract from June 1999. A wider choice of digital aids will be available on the new contract, which is due to commence with effect from 1 April 2000.

  Decisions on which hearing aid best meets the clinical needs of a patient is, however, a matter for the clinician in charge of their care.

Health

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much in cash terms the pay deal to nurses, doctors and other health workers will cost over the next three years and what percentage of the increase in the health care budget this will represent.

Susan Deacon: The cost of meeting the 2000-01 pay recommendations of the Review Body for Nurses, Midwives, Health Visitors and Professions Allied to Medicine (NPRB) and the Review Body for Doctors and Dentists (DDRB) over the next three years is as follows:

  


£ million

  



2000-01

  

88.2

  



2001-02

  

89.9

  



2002-03

  

89.9

  



  These costs represent 28.7% of the increases in the health service provision in both 2000-1 and 2001-02. The increase in health service provision for 2002-03 will be determined in the context of the 2000 Spending Review.

Health

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the Red Tape Review of the meat industry.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive's response formed in conjunction with other GB Departments has today been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. The response welcomes the Pooley Group's recommendations which include more flexible supervision of plants, further work on calculation of charges and a basis for discussion of progress from existing hygiene controls to a more modern, risk-based system. The work of taking forward the recommendations will include the industry forum arrangements that have been accepted as part of the package.

Home Office

Shona Robison (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met representatives of the Home Office and what matters were discussed.

Angus Mackay: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Home Office on a wide range of issues.

Information Technology

Mr Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the work of the Knowledge Economy Taskforce.

Henry McLeish: The Developing the Knowledge Economy Taskforce met for the first time on 26 January under my chairmanship and agreed the following remit:

  "To review the progress being made in developing the knowledge economy in Scotland; to identify the key questions that need be addressed by the Scottish Executive, with particular emphasis on personal knowledge, human skills, business management and innovation; and to identify the actions that need be taken by the Scottish Executive"

  Further meetings are planned for later this month and March.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary criminal cases were raised in Glasgow Sheriff Court and Glasgow District Court during 1999 and what were the corresponding figures for 1998.

Lord Hardie: : Between 1998 and 1999, the number of summary complaints registered in Glasgow Sheriff Court rose from 12,071 to 14,928. Over the same period, complaints initiated in the Lay District Court fell from 16,586 to 14,866, and complaints initiated in the Stipendiary Magistrates Court fell from 8,293 to 7,433.

Justice

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate is responsible for legal advice given to (a) the Scottish Legal Aid Board, (b) the Scottish Prison Service and (c) the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission.

Lord Hardie: The Lord Advocate is responsible for legal advice given to the Scottish Prison Service. The Lord Advocate is not, however, responsible for legal advice given to the Scottish Legal Aid Board or the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission.

Legislation

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the consultation period on the Ethical Standards in Public Life (Scotland) Bill for a further month.

Mr Frank McAveety: No. The consultation period on the Ethical Standards in Public Life etc. (Scotland) Bill ran from 18 November 1999 until 14 January 2000. Over 6,500 copies of the paper were sent out. In addition, the Bill appeared on the Scottish Executive website. There were over 2,300 responses to that consultation.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the holding of the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden in May 1999, an event previously not budgeted for, resulted in extra expenditure being incurred during the redevelopment project.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I refer Mr Monteith to the statement I made to the Parliament on 16 December.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Ministers or their representatives have ever attended any meetings with The National Stadium plc, the main contractor or any other parties about the progress of Hampden redevelopment project and, if so, whether it will provide details of who attended any such meetings and when.

Mr Sam Galbraith: It was necessary for Scottish Executive officials to attend a series of meetings with all other interested parties to negotiate the rescue package. I personally met Sir William McAlpine on 18 November.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which public bodies have contributed financially to the Hampden redevelopment project and how much each body contributed.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Millenium Commission is the major funder, having offered grant of £23 million. The Football Trust has contributed £14.35 million, £10 million from Reduction in Pools Betting Duty monies and £4.35 million from the SFA’s Contribution Account.  Sportscotland contributed £3.75 million specifically for work on the West Stand and the sports injury clinic. The Glasgow Development Agency contributed £1.6 million at the initial stages of the project for reclamation of derelict land.

  The Scottish Office contributed £2 million to Phase II over three years. It had already contributed £3.5 million to Phase I. Other contributors include the then Strathclyde Regional and Glasgow District Councils (a total of £1 million).

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the former financial director of the Hampden redevelopment project received any public funds as part of his leaving settlement and, if so, how much.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I am assured that the former financial director received no public funds following his resignation from TNS.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any employee or board member of The National Stadium plc will receive financial settlements from the public purse if the Scottish Executive’s rescue package is accepted.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its rescue package will ensure that Hampden’s new lecture theatre will be completed, and whether the lecture theatre’s proposed operation would have contributed a profit to the stadium’s business plan.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As I said in my statement to the Parliament on 12 January, the detailed rescue package negotiated last year has not been concluded and Queen’s Park FC have successfully petitioned the court for an interim administration order.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its rescue plan for the Hampden rebuilding project will ensure that the sub-contractors employed during the project will be paid by the main contractor.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As I said in my statement to the Parliament on 16 December McAlpine’s have accepted a settlement that involves a cash payment of £3.4 million and debentures that would cost £1.4 million to buy. Payment of the sub-contractors is a matter for McAlpine’s.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total deficit faced by the National Stadium plc and Queens Park FC in connection with the redevelopment of Hampden Park National Stadium is.

Mr Sam Galbraith: This is commercially confidential information which is not for the Scottish Executive to disclose. The gap is however significantly greater than the additional financial contribution of £4.4 million, hence the need for the protracted negotiations that took place.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who within the National Stadium project team agreed to increased specifications for the National Stadium, additional works which were not part of the original project and the staging of the 1999 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.

Mr Sam Galbraith: We do not have that detailed information but the project management team was responsible through the board of TNS to Queen’s Park. Queen’s Park entered into the management contract with McAlpine’s. The mistakes and misjudgements that were made were not all attributable to any one person.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will have any role, as a funding partner, in preparing or approving the Scottish Football Association’s business plan for the National Stadium at Hampden.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As I said in my statement to the Parliament on 12 January, the detailed rescue package negotiated last year has not been concluded and Queen’s Park FC have successfully petitioned the court for an interim administration order.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much rent the Scottish Football Association will pay to Queen’s Park FC annually in respect of the National Stadium.

Mr Sam Galbraith: As I said in my statement to the Parliament on 12 January, the detailed rescue package negotiated last year has not been concluded and Queen’s Park FC have successfully petitioned the court for an interim administration order.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the agreement of the various funding partners involved in the redevelopment of Hampden was sought prior to increased specifications, additional works and the staging of the 1999 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden being agreed to and, if not, why not.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No. I refer Mr Monteith to the statement I made to the Parliament on 16 December.

National Stadium

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following the statement to the Parliament on its rescue package for the National Stadium at Hampden, it will now publish excerpts of the consultant’s financial and technical assessment of the project, leaving out only the commercially sensitive sections.

Mr Sam Galbraith: No. Their findings involve commercially confidential and sensitive information and it would not be appropriate to publish that information. We have however asked for an end of contract round-up letter from the consultants which would respect commercial confidentiality and interests. I shall send a copy of this to the Education, Culture and Sport Committee in due course.

Police

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of police officers is covering each Parliamentary constituency.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested.

Prison Service

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the full amount of the underspend is in the Scottish Prisons Service and whether the £13 million reallocated from the Scottish Prison Service to other areas was money not spent by the service in previous years.

Mr Jim Wallace: £13 million. It is savings made by the Scottish Prison Service in previous years.

Prison Service

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much will be saved through the loss of 374 jobs in the Scottish Prison Service and whether this sum was included in the £13 million reallocated from the Scottish Prison Service to the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Mr Jim Wallace: The staff savings, prison closures and the management changes will be enough to enable the Scottish Prison Service to operate within its future baseline provision. The £13 million did not form part of this baseline and was reallocated to elsewhere in the Justice Programme.

Raptors

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will comment on the publication of the UK Raptor Working Group final report.

Sarah Boyack: I welcome the publication of the UK Raptor Working Group Report. I am particularly grateful for the work which has gone into the preparation of the report and commend the commitment which Working Group Members have given to this issue over a number of years. Since there is particular interest in Scotland in a number of the issues covered in the Report, I have asked Scottish Natural Heritage to provide formal advice to the Scottish Executive on its recommendations and on whether and how they might be implemented in Scotland.

Transport

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to provide additional funding for local authorities to assist them with upgrading the strategic road network and bridges to meet current EU standards.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive support for capital expenditure on roads and transport is included within the single block allocation which covers all non-housing capital programmes. It is for local authorities to prioritise projects across the range of these programmes and to allocate the necessary funding from the resources available to them. There are no plans to provide local authorities with additional resources for this purpose.

Transport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that its intention is to make the Skye Bridge toll free no later than the end of Skye Bridge Ltd’s concession.

Sarah Boyack: It is our intention that when the bridge has been paid for that the tolls will cease. In the meantime we have delivered our commitment to freeze the tolls at 1999 levels for the remainder of the concession.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will (a) estimate the total cost of freight facilities grant applications currently under consideration and (b) state the total available resources; whether it intends to seek additional resources and, if not, how it intends to prioritise existing resources in order to achieve the best value.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is currently assessing nine applications for Freight Facilities Grant. All applications are subject to a rigorous economic appraisal. Since this appraisal has yet to be completed for these nine applications it is not possible to give reliable figures for the costs of schemes or for the amount of grant that might be awarded.

  The present allocation for Freight Facilities Grants in Scotland is £18.3 million for the three years between 1999 and 2002, of which £9 million has so far been committed. Funding for the scheme beyond this period will be subject to the consideration of spending priorities for the Scottish Executive as a whole.

Water

Mr John Swinney (North Tayside) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-661 by Susan Deacon on 28 September 1999, whether it can provide a more up to date estimate of the capital and running costs of fluoridating drinking water.

Susan Deacon: The water authorities have now refined their initial estimates of the total costs implied in introducing fluoridation schemes on the basis described in my previous answer, to £34 million capital and £6.7 million annual operating costs.

Water

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress the water authorities have made in implementing the recommendations of the report on the diesel contamination incident at the Burncrooks waterworks in December 1997.

Sarah Boyack: The water authorities' responses to the recommendations were subject to independent audit by the consulting engineers Binnie Black and Veatch (BBV) last year. BBV found that the authorities are making satisfactory progress, but that further work remains to be done, reflecting the long-term nature of many of the recommendations.

  I have written to the Chairs of the authorities acknowledging what has been achieved to date and emphasising the importance that the Scottish Executive attaches to continuing progress being made.

Scottish parliamentary corporate body

Holyrood

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer, further to the answer to question S1W-3620 by Sir David Steel on 20 January 2000, whether the materials removed from the Holyrood site were sent to landfill or for land reclamation use and, if so, what percentage was sent for each purpose.

Sir David Steel: The material removed from the Holyrood site following the demolition of the old Scottish & Newcastle buildings became the property of the demolition contractor. Amounts and percentages of how much of that material went to landfill, land reclamation or other uses are not known, though it is understood that some went for land reclamation at Leith.